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Mobcast acquired the Lumines and Meteos properties from Q Entertainment, the Japanese smartphone game developer announced this week, as translated by Gematsu. Additionally, a new Lumines game is on the way for iOS and Android, and will be a collaboration with the colorful puzzle series' creator, Tetsuya Mizuguchi.

Mizuguchi will work on the latest Lumines at his new California-based studio, Enhance Games. The Rez and Space Channel 5 creator co-founded Q Entertainment in 2003 following his departure from Sega. Mizuguchi left the developer in March. The last Lumines game to launch was 2012's Lumines: Electronic Symphony (seen above).

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireacquisitionacquisitionsandroidenhance-gamesiosipipadiphonelumineslumines-electronic-symphonymeteosmobcastmobilepropertypuzzleQ-Entertainmenttetsuya-mizuguchiWed, 28 Jan 2015 14:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/08/way-of-the-samurai-4-journeys-to-pc-via-steam-this-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/08/way-of-the-samurai-4-journeys-to-pc-via-steam-this-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/09/08/way-of-the-samurai-4-journeys-to-pc-via-steam-this-year/#comments
UK publisher Ghostlight announced that it will publish a PC version of Acquire's open-world action game Way of the Samurai 4 via Steam.

Released for the PlayStation 3 through PSN in 2012, Way of the Samurai 4 takes an open-ended approach to its 19th-century Ronin narrative. The game places a heavy focus on character customization, and players can divide their allegiances between three factions during their quest, resulting in several different endings. Previous series entries saw release for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 2, and Ghostlight's upcoming release marks the first time the franchise has hit PC platforms.

Ghostlight notes that Way of the Samurai 4 will hit Steam "later this year."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireghostlightpcsteamway-of-the-samurai-4Mon, 08 Sep 2014 19:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/24/akibas-trip-2-brings-the-full-monty-including-ps4-to-north-am/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/24/akibas-trip-2-brings-the-full-monty-including-ps4-to-north-am/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/24/akibas-trip-2-brings-the-full-monty-including-ps4-to-north-am/#commentsAkiba's Trip 2 AKA the helpfully named Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed is confirmed for PS4 in North America. Acquire's action-RPG leaves its hat on the PS4 sometime this holiday season, after arriving on PS3 and Vita on August 12.

One of this year's more intellectual games, Akiba's Trip 2 tasks you with taking the clothes off vampire-like enemies terrorizing Tokyo. Because you want to shine sunlight onto their vampiric skin, of course. There's no other motivation than that, as the above NSFW trailer clearly shows.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireakibas-trip-undead-and-undressedplaystationplaystation-vitaps3ps4release-datevitaxseedThu, 24 Jul 2014 08:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/15/akibas-trip-undead-and-undressed-does-what-it-says-on-euro-boxes/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/15/akibas-trip-undead-and-undressed-does-what-it-says-on-euro-boxes/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/07/15/akibas-trip-undead-and-undressed-does-what-it-says-on-euro-boxes/#comments
Europeans get to stumble over orders of Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed when it arrives in the region courtesy of NIS America. As for the when, the press release we received this morning only specified an autumn window, but one sent earlier noted a release date of October 10. Either way, Europe will get its share of strippable zombies soon enough. Last we heard, XSEED plans to get Undead & Undressed in North America later this summer.

Released as Akiba's Trip 2 in Japan, Acquire's action-RPG is set in Tokyo's otaku central, Akihabara. Your mission is to take down a group of vampiric Synthisters that are terrorizing the area by shining sunlight directly onto their skin. That's your excuse reason for stripping them down, hence the game's name - by the way, there are both male and female Synthisters in the game, as a NSFW trailer of the Japanese version shows. The Western E3 trailer below the break is equally NSFW.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireakibas-trip-undead-and-undressedeuropeNIS-Americaplaystationplaystation-vitaps3release-datevitaTue, 15 Jul 2014 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/21/akibas-trip-undead-and-undressed-getting-buffed-up-on-ps4-in-jap/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/21/akibas-trip-undead-and-undressed-getting-buffed-up-on-ps4-in-jap/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/04/21/akibas-trip-undead-and-undressed-getting-buffed-up-on-ps4-in-jap/#comments
The subtly christened Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressedis coming to PS4 in Japan, but there's no word yet on North America getting a peep. XSEED previously announced it's bringing the game stateside this summer for PS3 and Vita, and we've reached out to see if we can expect the same for the PS4 version.

Known as the more transaction-friendly Akiba's Trip 2 in Japan, the Acquire-developed adventure is set in Tokyo otaku haven, Akihabara. There, a bunch of vampire-types called Synthisters are having the locals for lunch, but you can stop these monsters by exposing them to direct sunlight. Apparently, the best way to get some sun on Synthister skin is to get that skin out in the open. In brief(s), you're stripping vampiric demons down to their underwear so you can send them back to the nether regions - sorry, Netherworld.

According to a Siliconera translation of Famitsu's report, the new PS4 version offers enhanced visuals and faster load times, and it can also display more characters on the streets of Akihabara. It's due to hit Japanese retail shelves on July 3.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireakibas-trip-undead-and-undressedjapanplaystationps4release-datexseedMon, 21 Apr 2014 11:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/06/xseed-is-bringing-akibas-trip-2-to-north-america-this-summer/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/06/xseed-is-bringing-akibas-trip-2-to-north-america-this-summer/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/03/06/xseed-is-bringing-akibas-trip-2-to-north-america-this-summer/#comments
Following Senran Kagura Burst, XSEED is localizing more clothes-ripping action for North America in PS3 and Vita game Akiba's Trip 2. The action-RPG is titled stateside as Akiba's Trip: Undead & Undressed, and it's due on retail shelves sometime this summer.

It's an interesting localization given XSEED's reluctance to bring the first game (released on PSP) stateside, but as the publisher points out, the sequel features a standalone story. It's set in Tokyo's electronics hub of Akihabara, where vampire-like Synthister creatures are feasting on the otakus. If you feel like stopping that from happening, you can destroy the Synthisters by beating them up and, yup, removing their outerwear - no they don't die from embarrassment, but from being exposed to the sun.

For the record, a NSFW trailer of the Japanese version shows male and female Synthisters prowling the streets of Akiba, so no vampires are safe from a strip. The North American version is confirmed to feature Japanese audio, but XSEED says it's looking into dual audio.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireakibas-trip-2akibas-trip-undead-and-undressednorth-americaplaystationplaystation-vitaps3release-datevitaxseedThu, 06 Mar 2014 07:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/11/north-american-vitas-getting-murasaki-baby-no-heroes-allowed-th/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/11/north-american-vitas-getting-murasaki-baby-no-heroes-allowed-th/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/02/11/north-american-vitas-getting-murasaki-baby-no-heroes-allowed-th/#comments
Sony recently confirmed the appearance of two Vita games this year in Murasaki Baby and No Heroes Allowed: No Puzzles Either. The latter will launch this spring while the former will arrive in North America "later this year."

Murasaki Baby, a twisted touch-based adventure from Italian indie developer Ovosonico, has players protecting a little girl from nightmarish threats. We spent a little time with the game in October and determined that it's "about as bizarre as could be." No Heroes Allowed: No Puzzles Either is the fifth game in the series, one of the previous being No Heroes Allowed for PSP. No Puzzles Either draws a few comparisons to mobile puzzler 10000000, as it challenges players with 64 levels of match-three-style puzzles to defeat over 200 enemies.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquiremurasaki-babyNIS-AmericaNo-Heroes-AllowedNo-Heroes-Allowed-No-Puzzles-EitherNorth-Americaovosonicoplaystationplaystation-vitaSCEASCEEscreenshotsSONYSony-Computer-Entertainment-AmericavitaTue, 11 Feb 2014 18:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/31/persona-like-dungeon-crawler-mind-zero-coming-to-vita-this-sprin/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/31/persona-like-dungeon-crawler-mind-zero-coming-to-vita-this-sprin/http://www.joystiq.com/2014/01/31/persona-like-dungeon-crawler-mind-zero-coming-to-vita-this-sprin/#comments
Aksys Games confirmed that it will release an English-language version of Acquire and ZeroDiv's PS Vita dungeon-crawling RPG Mind Zero in North America and Europe this spring.

Similar in premise to Atlus' Persona series, Mind Zero stars a high school student who forges a pact with a "Mind," a supernatural being that grants its partner special abilities and magic attacks. Party members come equipped with unique Minds, which players can switch out and call upon to exploit enemy weaknesses in battle.

Mind Zero will be priced at $39.99 when it launches at retail and digitally via the PlayStation Network in North America. Aksys will skip a retail release in Europe, opting instead to launch the game exclusively as a digital download.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireaksysaksys-gamesmind-zeroplaystationplaystation-vitarelease-datevitazerodivFri, 31 Jan 2014 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/21/rain-drops-on-psn-this-october/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/21/rain-drops-on-psn-this-october/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/21/rain-drops-on-psn-this-october/#commentsRain, Sony Japan Studio's adventure game that has players guiding the silhouette of an invisible boy through a downpour, will launch on October 1 through PSN, Sony announced. The PS3 exclusive game will cost $14.99.

Those who pre-order Rain before September 30 will also receive a dynamic theme, 5 avatars, a musical montage and static theme in addition to "a few pieces of exclusive content."

Aside from letting Rain's release date slip, Sony also offered up a new developer diary video for the game, which is centered around its music.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireplaystationpre-orderpre-order-bonusps3rainrelease-dateSCE-Japan-StudioSONYWed, 21 Aug 2013 17:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/02/soak-up-the-world-of-rain-in-new-developer-diary/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/02/soak-up-the-world-of-rain-in-new-developer-diary/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/08/02/soak-up-the-world-of-rain-in-new-developer-diary/#comments
This developer diary video for Rain explores the ways players will interact with and affect the game's wet environments when it launches this fall on PS3.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquiredeveloper-diaryPSNrainSCE-Japan-StudioSCEAFri, 02 Aug 2013 20:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/rain-preview-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/rain-preview-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/06/14/rain-preview-ps3/#comments
The concept at the heart of Rain is magical. Looking out his window, a boy witness an invisible girl, her silhouette revealed by the rain as she runs splashing through the night. She's followed by another invisible entity outlined by the rain, a ferocious bipedal monster, which is referred to only as an "unknown."

Fearing for the girl's life, the boy chases after her, following her and the monster through a strange door of light. Emerging on the other side, the boy finds himself in different though familiar world. It looks like his own, a seemingly European city filled with alleyways, though this world is cloaked in perpetual night and never-ending rain. In this world, he too is invisible, his presence revealed only by the rain pattering against his body. The boy sets off in search of the girl, looking for answers. Is he cursed to remain invisible? Can he ever return to his own world?

Those will have to wait though, as the boy is soon running from a pack of different four-legged monsters. He quickly discovers that invisibility has its advantages. By hiding under structures so that the rain doesn't give away his position, the monsters can no longer see him.

Normally, this sort of storybook world would be right up my alley (see: my Unfinished Swan review), but I'm afraid Rain's big trick may be its only trick.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquiree3-2013japan-studioplaystationps3rainsce-japan-studiosony-japan-studioFri, 14 Jun 2013 20:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/30/rain-drops-onto-psn-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/30/rain-drops-onto-psn-this-fall/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/30/rain-drops-onto-psn-this-fall/#comments
And now the weather: PSN can expect Rain sometime this fall. The Sony Japan Studio game, reminiscent of Ico, sees you play as a boy who's only visible as a silhouette outlined by rain. He finds a girl like himself being chased by similarly invisible monsters, and the pair work together as they try to escape the perils of the night.

With Sony Japan Studio forecasting Rain to arrive in a matter of months, it's no shock we'll be seeing more of the game in a couple of weeks time at E3.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireplaystationplaystation-campps3psnrainSCE-Japan-Studiosony-japan-studioThu, 30 May 2013 07:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/09/clan-of-champions-thumps-psn-november-20/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/09/clan-of-champions-thumps-psn-november-20/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/09/clan-of-champions-thumps-psn-november-20/#commentsClan of Champions rampages onto PlayStation Network on November 20. The multiplayer brawler which seeks one ultimate warrior was developed by Acquire, makers of Way of the Samurai and Tenchu games. It bustled onto Steam last month. and now NIS America is bringing it to North America's PSN in two weeks time. A European release is scheduled for a later date.

With no sight of the Xbox 360 version initially mentioned by NIS America, it seems the Clan may settle down on PS3 and PC for now. And by settle down, we mean beat the bejeezus out of each other until one warrior is left standing. It's a clan with a plan.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireclan-of-championsnis-americaplaystationps3PSNrelease-dateFri, 09 Nov 2012 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/02/orgarhythm-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/02/orgarhythm-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/11/02/orgarhythm-review/#commentsIf it's possible to have a favorite "type" of game - not genre, mind you, but favorite "type" - I'd have to say that the games I love most are "ambitious but imperfect." These are games that try to do intriguing, daring things: meld genres together, build themselves around an interesting theme, tell a story in an unconventional manner. Often they run into more than a few technical and design hiccups, perhaps because the developers' ambitions outstripped their team's capability to realize them. But in spite of their flaws, there's something secretly awesome about them that makes wrestling with all their foibles worth it.

Having read all that, you've probably already guessed that Orgarhythm falls into this category. It's a bizarre mix of god-sim, rhythm game, and RTS that mostly - mostly - works. When it shines brightest, it's a fabulous and unique experience.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireorgarhythmplaystationplaystation-vitavitaxseedFri, 02 Nov 2012 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/clan-of-champions-muscles-onto-steam-on-october-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/clan-of-champions-muscles-onto-steam-on-october-30/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/clan-of-champions-muscles-onto-steam-on-october-30/#commentsClan of Champions, a multiplayer action game from NIS America and Tenchu developer Acquire Corp., will hit Steam on October 30. It's set to launch on PSN at a later date.

The first we heard of Clan of Champions, NIS was planning a release on Xbox 360 and PS3. Looks like plans have changed. Clan of Champions enables single-player or online multiplayer, with warriors fighting to become the one true champion using short-range magic spells or close-range combat. Remember: There can only be one. Unless you're on a multiplayer run.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireclan-of-championsNIS-Americapcplaystationps3STEAMFri, 12 Oct 2012 04:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/14/orgarhythm-combines-rhythm-and-strategy-into-one-weird-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/14/orgarhythm-combines-rhythm-and-strategy-into-one-weird-game/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/06/14/orgarhythm-combines-rhythm-and-strategy-into-one-weird-game/#commentsPikmin 3 might have been the best-known crowd-control strategy game at E3, but it wasn't the most memorable. That distinction goes to Orgarhythm, a Vita game demonstrated to me during a meeting with publisher XSEED.

Orgarhythm mashes up two of the least mashuppable genres imaginable: rhythm game and strategy. Players control a giant, strutting god who follows a predetermined path through each level. The god has the ability to direct elemental troops, representing earth, water, and fire, to fight enemy troops who are also elemental, being sure to attack with the element that those enemies are weak against. Each element has multiple attack options, including melee, ranged, and even a catapult attack to affect enemies on a higher plane.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquiree3-2012neiloOrgarhythmplaystationplaystation-vitavitaxseedThu, 14 Jun 2012 12:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/05/xseed-announces-rhythm-strategy-title-orgarhythm-for-vita/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/05/xseed-announces-rhythm-strategy-title-orgarhythm-for-vita/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/05/xseed-announces-rhythm-strategy-title-orgarhythm-for-vita/#commentsMove over Theatrhythm, there's a new absurdly titled and unpronounceable handheld rhythm game in town: Orgarhythm. Developed by Acquire (in association with Neilo) and set to be published in North America by XSEED sometime this year, Orgarhythm is a hybrid rhythm/strategy game for the Vita.

Acting as the God of Light, players do battle against the diametrically named God of Darkness by commanding armies of elementally-themed soldiers. The game's soundtrack, described as "a hypnotic mix of rock, club and tribal music," affects how and when your units attack, with the beat of the music acting as a quantifiable resource to be spent on stronger attacks. The music also dynamically alters itself depending on the circumstances of the battle, adding additional layers of complexity as more troops enter the fray.

As implied by the rather artsy trailer above, commanding your army is handled entirely by the Vita's touchscreen - tapping to select troops, swiping to direct them towards the desired target, etc. Said troops also have a Pokemon-esque relationship with the enemy, due to the fact that every unit is either an Earth, water or fire-type, with all the inferred weaknesses and strengths you'd expect from such a system.

Eventual DLC is mentioned by the press release tucked away after the break, but no specific plans are actually outlined. If you're an aspiring musician, however, take note: XSEED will be looking for independent artists sometime in the near future to bolstier Orgarhythm's aural catalog.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AcquireNeiloOrgarhythmplaystationplaystation-vitaRhythmstrategyvitaXSEEDSat, 05 May 2012 16:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/monkeypaw-and-gaijinworks-kickstart-a-class-of-heroes-2-localiza/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/monkeypaw-and-gaijinworks-kickstart-a-class-of-heroes-2-localiza/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/28/monkeypaw-and-gaijinworks-kickstart-a-class-of-heroes-2-localiza/#commentsMonkeyPaw Games and GaijinWorks, two companies dedicated to bringing classic Japanese games to the west, are testing the utility of Kickstarter for localization of Japanese games, with the most random test subject imaginable.

Class of Heroes 2 is a sequel to a PSP dungeon crawler released here by Atlus in 2009. Like the original, it's a game about first-person, turn-based dungeon battling. The two companies plan to release it digitally -- but also, for supporters, in a crazy physical limited edition that promises to outpace any of the giant boxes sold by Ireland's former company, Working Designs.

Bonuses in this Deluxe Pack include a custom box, a soundtrack, and other secret items that are still being prototyped. In addition to this, Kickstarter rewards include lapel pins, posters, plushes, pocket watches, and music boxes. Higher-level backers get things like trips to LA to go to E3 and meet with the team, and in-game credits in the placement of their choice.

The Kickstarter is designed not to sell the game, but to fund both the digital and physical releases. "Our Kickstarter project is designed to allow fans that plan to download it digitally to support the game now," the companies explain, "helping it reach the funding threshold and expand the scope and depth of localization for BOTH the digital and physical releases." If successful, the companies hope to localize other Class of Heroes releases as well. "So if you're along for the whole ride, you'll eventually have a line of awesome Class of Heroes games on your shelf."

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireclass-of-heroes-2gaijinworkskickstartermonkeypaw-gamesplaystationpspsonyWed, 28 Mar 2012 10:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/rovio-buys-fellow-finn-futuremark-games-studio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/rovio-buys-fellow-finn-futuremark-games-studio/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/03/27/rovio-buys-fellow-finn-futuremark-games-studio/#commentsRovio, the team responsible for Angry Birds and Angry Birds Space (and parts of this), has acquired Futuremark Games Studio, creator of Unstoppable Gorg and Shattered Horizon, among other titles. Futuremark Games was founded in 2008 and is based in Finland alongside Rovio, which may explain why Rovio chose to acquire this particular smaller studio over your own basement operation in Florida. Maybe.

"They are an incredibly talented and experienced team, and we are thrilled to have them on board," Rovio Entertainment CEO Mikael Hed said. "Rovio's success is founded on the excellence of our team, and Futuremark Games Studio is going to be a superb addition."

That might also be why Rovio chose Futuremark Games, but if it helps just keep telling yourself that this is a classic case of nationalism.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireandroidangry-birds-spacefinlandfuturemarkfuturemark-games-studioiosipadiphonemacmobilepcRovioTue, 27 Mar 2012 16:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/20/shinobido-2-revenge-of-zen-trailer-says-it-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/20/shinobido-2-revenge-of-zen-trailer-says-it-all/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/20/shinobido-2-revenge-of-zen-trailer-says-it-all/#comments
This weekend, we saw the announcement of Sumioni: Demon Arts for PlayStation Vita. Today, Namco Bandai released a new trailer for developer Acquire's other Vita launch window game: Shinobido 2: Revenge of Zen, a game that has stealthy ninja action, and, apparently, kind of a lot of voice acting. We'd expect ninja to be more reticent.

Shinobido 2 will be a launch-day release in both North America and Europe, shipping February 22.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquirenamco-bandaiplaystationplaystation-vitashinobido-2-revenge-of-zenshinobido-2-tales-of-the-ninjavitaTue, 20 Dec 2011 04:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/17/xseed-inks-publishing-deal-for-vita-platformer-sumioni-demon-ar/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/17/xseed-inks-publishing-deal-for-vita-platformer-sumioni-demon-ar/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/12/17/xseed-inks-publishing-deal-for-vita-platformer-sumioni-demon-ar/#comments
XSEED is one of the most doggedly prolific PSP publishers, and it's continuing the trend with the Vita, announcing plans to publish Acquire's Sumioni: Demon Arts this spring in North America.

Sumioni casts the player as an "ink demon," fighting through a sumi-e landscape. It combines traditional button controls for locomotion and combat, and touchscreen-based drawing to make new platforms, summon fire and lightning, and perform other feats. It's also, like, way pretty.

You don't need us to tell you that! Gawk at the above trailer and see for yourself. Thanks, XSEED, for localizing one of the more interesting Japanese Vita launch games! It's not like we can just buy it from PSN in Japan.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireplaystationplaystation-vitarelease-datespring-2012sumionisumioni-demon-artsvitaxseedSat, 17 Dec 2011 15:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/04/wizardry-labyrinth-of-lost-souls-dungeon-crawls-to-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/04/wizardry-labyrinth-of-lost-souls-dungeon-crawls-to-ios/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/11/04/wizardry-labyrinth-of-lost-souls-dungeon-crawls-to-ios/#commentsWizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls, the aggressively old school first-person game from Acquire, has now journeyed from PSN to iOS. You can download it for free and explore the first floor of a dungeon; if you survive that, the rest can be unlocked for $10.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireiosiphonemobilewizardry-labyrinth-of-lost-soulsFri, 04 Nov 2011 00:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/famitsu-reveals-new-vita-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/famitsu-reveals-new-vita-games/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/07/famitsu-reveals-new-vita-games/#comments
In this age of A/V overload, it's rare that you get the opportunity to really flex those imagination muscles, but today presents just such a chance. Famitsu got its hands on nine Vita games, but since details are scarce on some and we don't know if others will actually come to America, it's the perfect opportunity to revitalize that atrophied fantasizing gland.

A big chunk of the nine were previously announced Ubisoft games (including "Luminous Electronic Symphony," which we assume is the Vita Lumines game). But the magazine also featured some new titles like Game Arts' Ragnarok Odyssey, a "hunting action" game that borrows elements from MMORPG Ragnarok Online and, presumably, the Monster Hunter series. Also, D3's bringing Dream Club Zero to the portable, but since it's a port of a 360 dating sim/visual novel that will never, ever come to the U.S. you probably don't want to waste too much imagination on that one.

Perhaps the most intriguing on the list is Acquire's Sumioni, a 2D action game with an inky art style (as you can see in the screen Siliconera ran). Apparently, you'll use both touch pads and an analogue stick to brush away enemies with your ... magical, brushy, ink powers. (C'mon, imagination!)

Rounding out the list is Moe Moe Daisensou Gendaiban++, the latest in a strategy series that mysteriously hasn't caught on in the US.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquirefamitsuplaystationplaystation-vitaps-vitapspragnarok-odysseysonysumioniubisoftvitaWed, 07 Sep 2011 17:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/wizardry-labyrinth-of-lost-souls-finds-a-home-on-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/wizardry-labyrinth-of-lost-souls-finds-a-home-on-psn/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/03/23/wizardry-labyrinth-of-lost-souls-finds-a-home-on-psn/#comments
The positively historical first-person RPG series Wizardry will continue in North America and Europe in as modern a manner as can be: a downloadable PSN game for PS3. XSEED is localizing Acquire's Wizardry: Torawareshi Tamashii no Meikyū for the West as Wizardry: Labyrinth of Lost Souls. Though the series started in America (in 1981!) in recent years it's been more popular in Japan, with sequels developed by Japanese companies and released only in Japan. That explains why this version looks a bit more anime than the original did.

Players will be able to explore a grid-based dungeon and fight 120 different monsters, all with hand-drawn 2D sprites, sometime this spring.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireplaystationps3psnrelease-datespring-2011wizardrywizardry-labyrinth-of-lost-soulsxseedWed, 23 Mar 2011 22:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/way-of-the-samurai-4-is-exclusive-to-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/way-of-the-samurai-4-is-exclusive-to-ps3/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/10/28/way-of-the-samurai-4-is-exclusive-to-ps3/#commentsWay of the Samurai 3's North American release was handled in an unorthodox manner, with Agetec publishing on PS3 and UFO Interactive publishing on Xbox 360. That may not be an issue with the newly-announced fourth entry in Acquire's free-roaming samurai action series, because it's been revealed as a PS3 exclusive. Of course, the Xbox 360 port followed the PS3 version in Japan by four months, so Xbox players may still see the way.

According to Siliconera, the exclusivity was announced in a Famitsu article, which also offered some details about gameplay. You'll be able to choose your samurai's age, and then, through actions, choose to align them with one of three feuding groups. You'll also have more available actions within event scenes. Of course, during the gameplay scenes you'll always have the "slash" action.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquirejapanplaystationps3spikeway-of-the-samuraiway-of-the-samurai-4Thu, 28 Oct 2010 01:00:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/gladiator-begins-review-do-i-not-entertain/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/gladiator-begins-review-do-i-not-entertain/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/09/08/gladiator-begins-review-do-i-not-entertain/#comments
Despite its long list of problems, Gladiator Begins gets the most important thing right: beating, bashing and slicing dudes feels good. It's just as well, because that's the only thing this PSP game ever lets you do.

The premise is simple to a fault: You hop in a box with Roman slaves and then stab 'em until they're dead. That's it. For some, non-stop brawling makes for the best kind of action game; the beat-'em-up genre's survived on this kind of repetition. Gladiator even takes advantage of a handful of elements inspired by role-playing, which keeps things from getting stale too quickly.

Though a European trailer for No Heroes Allowed, the third game in the What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? series, was released during Gamescom, news of a North American release remained up in the air (instead of buried in a hastily-dug dungeon, where it belonged). SCEA has revealed plans to release the game, but did not offer up a date for the God of Destruction's resurrection.

No Heroes Allowed offers 100 daily dungeon design challenges, along with a new cooperative play mode that stars Badman and his daughter, Badmella. In the new addition, two players collaborate to dig a deadly, devious and dangerous dungeon.

The Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida series has undergone a number of name changes in localization. NIS America originally released the PSP's evil overlord hideout design game under the hilariously unwieldy title "Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This!?" Shortly before the release of the sequel, a trademark complaint forced NIS to change the series title to "What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!?"

Now, a trailer released during Gamescom has revealed Sony Europe's plans to localize the third game, called Yuusha no Kuse ni Namaikida 3D in Japan, under yet another completely different title, the much pithier "No Heroes Allowed." This third game adds the ability to flood your dungeon with water in order to destroy any invading heroes, and also allows for competitive or cooperative multiplayer. Check out the trailer after the break, My Lord!

Acquire's Kentoushi Gladiator Begins, a PSP game more famous for its advertising than for its gameplay, is headed to North America, courtesy of Aksys Games. In Gladiator Begins, you'll get to master several fighting implements like the sword and shield, polearm, and even your own fists in your quest to defeat other gladiators, entertain bloodthirsty crowds, and attract the attention of one of five patrons.

While Aksys didn't announce a release date for the game, a subsequent announcement lets us know exactly when we'll get to play part of the game. A demo for the arena combat game will be available on PSN July 13.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>AcquireaksysAksys-GamesDemoFightingGladiator-BeginsplaystationPSNpspMon, 28 Jun 2010 19:50:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/28/psp-rpg-adopts-freemium-model-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/28/psp-rpg-adopts-freemium-model-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/05/28/psp-rpg-adopts-freemium-model-in-japan/#comments
Acquire and Zero Div are working on a new PSP RPG -- and it'll be completely free. Bakumatsu Revolution will be free to download via PlayStation Network and will feature a full ten-hour quest, which can be played solo or cooperatively with up to three others (Monster Hunter style). According to IGN, players will even be able to freely distribute the game through PSP-to-PSP wireless connectivity.

Of course, there's always a catch. While the core game will be free, for-pay add-ons, such as downloadable items and quests, will be available after release. Essentially, this is the "freemium" model that's been successfully utilized by many PC MMOs and casual titles, especially in Asian markets.

Bakumatsu Revolution will be available on June 25 in Japan; but no plans for a North American release are currently in the works.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquirebakumatsu-revolutionfreemiumjrpgpsnzero-devFri, 28 May 2010 12:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/14/class-of-heroes-2g-attending-ps3-this-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/14/class-of-heroes-2g-attending-ps3-this-year/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/04/14/class-of-heroes-2g-attending-ps3-this-year/#comments
Acquire's Class of Heroes is graduating from PSP to PS3 later this year, despite the old-school dungeon-crawler not ranking very high in the PSP popularity contest last year. Still, the RPG series is supported by a devout clique of players, and while Atlus has passed on publishing the PSP sequel in North America, an apparent PS3 version is in development for Japanese release.

Class of Heroes 2G is presumably an HD port of the PSP game, and Siliconera reports the game may have full voice acting, an expanded character edit mode and is planned for release in mid July.

Considering the old-school gameplay and relatively simplistic presentation, Class of Heroes 2G would make an ideal candidate for a PSN release in North America. That is, if anyone decides to localize it.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireclass-of-heroesclass-of-heroes-2gjrpgWed, 14 Apr 2010 13:16:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/sony-puts-together-patchwork-heroes-demo-for-mar-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/sony-puts-together-patchwork-heroes-demo-for-mar-4/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/03/03/sony-puts-together-patchwork-heroes-demo-for-mar-4/#comments
Known as Million Ton Barabara in Japan and the work of Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman!What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord?! dev Acquire, Patchwork Heroesis hands-down the coolest-looking PSP game about sawing up giant airships we're ever seen. Okay, so it's the only game of the type we've ever seen -- viva la originality! Sony has announced that we'll all get to experience the (we hope) joys of dismantling flying war machines tomorrow, Thursday March 4, when a demo of Patchwork Heroes hits PlayStation Network as part of the service's usual weekly update. It all goes well, it should fulfill our weird 'n wacky gameplay needs through the entire weekend.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquiredemopsnpsn-storerelease-dateSCEJsonySony-Computer-Entertainment-JapanWed, 03 Mar 2010 18:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/09/holy-trademark-nis-badman-games-to-be-renamed/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/09/holy-trademark-nis-badman-games-to-be-renamed/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/02/09/holy-trademark-nis-badman-games-to-be-renamed/#commentsWhat did I do to deserve this, my lord!? That is both the question on NIS America's mind and the new title of its series, once known as Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! The publisher announced that it's changing the name of the Acquire-developed action-strategy game in response to "a conflict of interest with an existing IP." We're guessing the trademark issue in question is with a certain comic book franchise owned by Warner Bros. -- Plastic Man, obviously.

This week has not been kind to NIS. Just yesterday, the Japanese parent company reported a 95 percent drop in profits, and now the American branch has to change the name of one of its franchises midstream. May 4 is the new release date for what is now called What Did I Do to Deserve This, My Lord!? 2.

[Update: May is indeed a new release date for the game: it was originally slated for March.]

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquirebadmanbatmanholy-invasion-of-privacy-badmannisnis-americatrademarkwarner-broswhat-did-i-do-to-deserve-this-my-lordTue, 09 Feb 2010 15:28:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/20/million-ton-barabara-getting-localized-as-patchwork-heroes/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/20/million-ton-barabara-getting-localized-as-patchwork-heroes/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/20/million-ton-barabara-getting-localized-as-patchwork-heroes/#comments
Fans of Qix, airships, and systematically disassembling airships in a Qix-like fashion, rejoice! Sony announced that it will bring Million Ton Barabara, from Acquire, the developer behind the ostentatiously named Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman: What Did I Do to Deserve This, to Europe and the U.S. under the moniker Patchwork Heroes. The title might have lost a bit of catchiness in translation, but at least we'll now be able to read what the game's adorable characters are saying.

PlayStation.Blog has a bit of information about the game for folks who didn't follow its Japanese iteration. Basically, you and your team are tasked with carving chunks off of a massive, flying warship while avoiding the vehicle's turrets and other defense systems. You can get a sliver of gameplay in the Japanese trailer posted after the jump, along with the greatest theme song ever. Hopefully, that won't get left out of the localization.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireone-million-ton-barabarapatchwork-heroesqixsonyWed, 20 Jan 2010 17:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/million-ton-barabara-demo-coming-to-japanese-psn-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/million-ton-barabara-demo-coming-to-japanese-psn-next-week/http://www.joystiq.com/2010/01/13/million-ton-barabara-demo-coming-to-japanese-psn-next-week/#comments
We'd gone ahead and written off Million Ton Barabara, the upcoming project from Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman creator Acquire, as a simple, extremely Japanese Qix clone. That is, until we watched the super catchy, seemingly Wes Anderson-inspired trailer posted after the jump. Upon viewing it, we fell instantly in love -- and became all the more excited that, according to AndriaSang, a demo for the game will find its way onto the Japanese PSN sometime next week. Importing stuff from the PlayStation Store is a huge hassle -- but something tells us this one will be worth it.

Seriously, folks -- if you're looking for some good whistling material for the next few hours, check out the trailer just past the jump.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireone-million-ton-barabaraplaystation-campsonyWed, 13 Jan 2010 16:45:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/03/tenchu-shadow-assassins-price-silently-slashed/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/03/tenchu-shadow-assassins-price-silently-slashed/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/12/03/tenchu-shadow-assassins-price-silently-slashed/#commentsNewegg has been the place for heavily discounted M-rated Wii titles lately. The latest game to have its price reduced to a negligible amount: Acquire's Tenchu: Shadow Assassins, one of the first major Wii releases of 2009. At just $9.99, even wannabe ninja who spent all their lunch money on caltrops can afford to pick it up!

If you've waited all year to play a game about using ninja cats to distract sort of British-sounding targets, and you somehow missed this game, now's your chance to make that right.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireneweggsaletenchu-4tenchu-shadow-assassinsubisoftThu, 03 Dec 2009 16:15:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/one-million-ton-barabara-falling-onto-psp-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/one-million-ton-barabara-falling-onto-psp-in-japan/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/11/18/one-million-ton-barabara-falling-onto-psp-in-japan/#commentsAcquire has teamed up with the Playstation C.A.M.P. project once again to produce another quirky and unique PSP game idea -- the last collaboration produced Holy Invasion of Privacy, Badman! What Did I Do to Deserve This? In the new game, One Million Ton Barabara ("bara bara" being a Japanese word describing something breaking up or scattering), you play the leader of a town's protection force, charged with destroying the giant airships that loom over your city Independence Day-style.

To do this, you and your squad grab onto the ship and tear pieces off. When enough of the ship lies in ruins on the ground, you've completed the level. It's kind of like tower defense meets Qix, or something.

Last week, Sony launched a teaser site which provides a look at the game's aesthetic. One Million Ton Barabara will be out in February in Japan.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireone-million-ton-barabaraplaystation-camprelease-dateWed, 18 Nov 2009 19:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/27/tgs-2009-the-worst-logo-of-the-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/27/tgs-2009-the-worst-logo-of-the-show/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/09/27/tgs-2009-the-worst-logo-of-the-show/#commentsThere were plenty of game titles at TGS that we couldn't read because they were all in Japanese, but only one that we couldn't read in English.

In fact, it was only because of the Japanese title underneath this logo, for an Akella-developed MMO published in Japan by Acquire, that we could parse this unfortunate image at all. Good luck!

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>acquireakellammoseriously-what-does-that-saytgs-2009Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:30:00 ESThttp://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/rikimarus-turn-to-impress-in-tenchu-shadow-assassins/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/rikimarus-turn-to-impress-in-tenchu-shadow-assassins/http://www.joystiq.com/2009/01/13/rikimarus-turn-to-impress-in-tenchu-shadow-assassins/#comments
Okay, now we're at a crossroads. Last time, we said that Tenchu's Ayame was edging her counterpart Rikimaru out as the ninja to fear in Tenchu: Shadow Assassins. In this latest trailer, Rikimaru delivers his own campaign platform. Between his gravelly, menacing voice (good job, Ubi!), his lightning-fast movements, and, well, all those dudes he kills, he makes a pretty good argument for his own badassery. And at the end of the day, no matter which ninja is cooler, the real winner is ... whoever isn't a guard in feudal Japan.

The trailer is after the break for reasons of violent, somewhat bloody content.

From Software just released a Japanese trailer for the PSP version of Tenchu 4 and it has everything one would expect from a game of the stealth-action franchise. Check it out after the jump -- badass ninjas sneaking around at night, check. Villain with a maniacal laugh, check. Blades piercing various people, check. Damsel in distress, check. The graphics also look like they haven't suffered a downgrade compared to the Wii version. Still no word yet on a US release.

And last but not least, the trailer confirms the inclusion of kittens in the game. Is it too early to crown Tenchu 4 GOTY?